Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian met with diplomats and officials of various consulates in the Philippines to strengthen the DSWD’s ties and build new partnerships aimed at providing quality social protection services to poor Filipinos on Friday, May 5 at the New Zealand Ambassador Residence in Makati City.

Secretary Gatchalian discussed the various social protection programs of the DSWD to the ambassadors and officials of the different embassies in the country.

Hearing the initiatives of the DSWD to end hunger and improve the lives of the poor and vulnerable sectors, the ambassadors asked Secretary Gatchalian how they can help the Department in the improvement and provision of social protection programs and services to Filipinos.

The ambassadors and other representatives provided thier suggestions and recommendations, based on their experiences in the handling and provision of services in their respective countries.

Secretary Gatchalian responded that the foreign diplomats’ expertise, experiences in crafting and implementing social welfare services, aside from funding, would greatly help the DSWD in strengthening and enhancing its services and in ending human sufferings.

“Being heard and hearing your inputs, given that you have world experiences on these that you have been running in your countries, — I do want to emphasize on that — is already a treat for us. We go home a lot wiser this afternoon, and hopefully, whether if it’s for this program or other programs , we really want to work with you,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

The DSWD continues to build and intensify its robust partnerships with the international community to contribute to the
Department’s social protection services for the poor and vulnerable Filipinos. #